The present invention relates generally to rescue systems and methods and more particularly to improved rescue systems and methods for removing an imperiled person from a moving body of water.
Rescuing a person from a body of water is becoming a more common problem due to the population growth of areas which are subject to unexpected torrential rainfall. In addition, many heavily populated areas not uncommonly experience flooding due to dam rupture as well as many other causes. The resulting flood waters typically move very quickly through an area and with great force due to the high volume of water involved.
Prior art systems and methods for rescuing a person from a moving body of water have included simply throwing a rope to the imperiled person. Often, a rope may be attached to a flotation device. However, one of the primary shortcomings of such systems and methods is that the person to be rescued is required to have and utilize a very high degree of strength in order to maintain a firm grip on such a rope or flotation device because of the relatively high speed at which he is moving in the water. This becomes even more difficult to accomplish if, as is common, the person in the body of water is unconscious or in a weakened state due to hypothermia or due to exhaustion from attempting to swim to safety or due to injury or inhalation of water. Indeed, since it is very common for flood waters to include a very large mass of water moving at very high speeds, it becomes much more likely that an imperiled person will become quickly weakened due to exhaustion, personal injury or water inhalation. Moreover, it is often difficult for the person to be rescued to be able to grab a hold of such a rope or flotation device because of his speed relative to the rescuing person. In addition, because of this often great difference in relative speed between the rescuer and rescuee, the rescuer is often unable to accurately throw the rope close enough to the rescuee to allow him to grab it. The high degree of force with which the flood waters push the imperiled individual require a correspondingly high degree of strength to grab a hold of and maintain a firm grip on such a rope or flotation device in order for the rescue to be successful. Consequently, regardless of whether the rescue system equipment is thrown to a drowning person from a bridge, a shore or a helicopter, these problems often prevent such a rescue operation from being successful.
A rescue system and method is thus needed that does not require a high degree of strength from the rescuee in order for the rescue operation to be successful. A rescue system and method is also needed that is capable of rescuing an unconscious or otherwise passive person from a moving body of water. A rescue system and method is also needed that may be set up easily and quickly in order to reach the imperiled individual in time for the rescue operation to be successful.